Megan Gale: 'I Care A Lot Less About What Other People Think'

'I was pregnant and I had the flu, laryngitis and hand, foot and mouth… and then I miscarried. I should have been saying no to people, I should have stopped.'

Megan Gale is as beautiful in the flesh as she is on all those magazine covers and David Jones adverts you’ve seen over the years. After we chat for a while, I realise that this 44-year-old’s beauty is not just skin deep - she is sweet and warm and authentic. As we sit in her Sydney hotel room - her partner Shaun’s gym gear on the floor (I tell her it’s much like my house and it makes me like her even more) - I realise that she’s got plenty of wisdom to share. As a mum of two kids, River, 5, and Rosie, 2, she’s starting all over again in many ways - launching her new business Mindful Life. Here, I sit down with Megan for whimn's interview series In All Honesty where inspiring women open up about the most important lessons they’ve learnt and share other nuggets of wisdom.

From model to mum and now mumpreneur - tell me about this new business of yours...

Mindful Life is my third baby that I launched six months ago. It’s a little start-up - I work from my home office so I can be close to my kids - putting down the foundations of a business, starting it up and launching it, which has its pros and cons. You’re close to the kids but you’re also accessible.

Where did the idea for it come from?

When I was pregnant with River I was very considered about what products I put on my skin. My idea was to create products, but I wanted it to have more purpose and an emotional connection to me. So I sat in the world of being a parent and what that meant to me.

What did you discover?

Mindfulness - being present, connected to my kids, not getting caught up in the whole world of motherhood. Listening to what your kids want, your baby needs and being very mindful of that. It sounds a bit woo, but really it’s just a good sense of awareness and being present.

Seriously, how cute is this snap with River and Rosie? Image: Instagram @megankgaleSource:Whimn

So, how does this fit into your products, the basis of Mindful Life?

I’ve had many older parents say, don’t wish motherhood away even if you’re tired - they’re only little for a precious amount of time. The time of day when you use my products is when you connect with them the most - bedtime, bath time - that’s when they need you, when the bonding happens, the magic as well the chaos. That’s when I thought, it’s not the products it’s what parents will use them to do to form the bonding process.

I find that sometimes my chaos takes over being mindful - how do you make it work?

I’m not someone who’s all mindful and zen, I’ve got to work at it. There are people who are intuitively mindful - Shaun, my mum. I’m no guru, I’m just another student eager to learn. In these times when we are overwhelmed, overstimulated and time-poor, we need to be kinder and slow-down. I check-in with myself and ask: how is my body feeling, how am I’m eating, how am I in my relationships and business?

It sounds like you’ve had a real spiritual shift...

I have and I’m still shifting…

Ahhh, beautiful people in every sense. Photo: Rebecca MichaelSource:Whimn

This business must be a big learning curve for you - you’ve launched brands before, like your swimwear brand, Isola, with the backing of big companies and now to go out by yourself … it must be a different level of vulnerability for you.

It's terrifying. The amount of times that I’ve been in tears saying it’s too hard. I’ve seen both sides of business now: I’ve had the backing, team, office and everything at your fingertips. Not to say that wasn’t hard work, but that taught me about how business works. However, that doesn't prepare you for things like, Ok how am I going to make a product, get a barcode? It’s taken five years from idea to now, but it was two years before I found my “why”.

What is the why?

It’s more about the emotional message of mindfulness - whether you’re a parent or not - everyone needs to give themselves permission to stop.

How did you come across mindfulness?

My mum has always been big on it and would encourage me to do it especially when my career was taking off, which was after five years of trying to make a name for myself. I was trying to make up for lost time saying yes to everything and travelling the world. When you become a name that people want it’s great, but you don’t stop to check in with yourself. You keep going, you’re contracted to, and don’t want to let anyone down. I would push myself to the point of exhaustion, bundle myself off to the health retreat, piece myself back together and off I’d go.

I feel this applies to all women...

Yes, we’re very inclined to do this. I used to think, I have a career with a very short shelf life and I need to make the most of it now. I can rest later, but my health would suffer as a result. Then when I became pregnant with River, my mum was even more adamant. If I’m not well, who’s going to look after my child?

You had a health crisis when River was young, tell me about that?

I had a miscarriage in 2016 and it was the worst my health had been. I was living in Melbourne, River was two and a half and I was shooting Australian’s Next Top Model in Sydney. I was pregnant and I had the flu, laryngitis and hand, foot and mouth… and then I miscarried. I should have been saying no to people, I should have stopped. I realised I needed to practise what I preach.

How do you practice that today - keeping your mental health in check?

If I find myself ratty or frustrated it’s usually because something is off - like if I spend too much time with my kids, there’s only so much Peppa Pig I can handle, and I haven’t been around adults enough. Then, work drops off and I am chasing my tail and if I don’t spend enough time with my man...we were partners before we were parents. This past weekend the house was a pigsty, but I had so much fun with my kids and that box was ticked. I came up to Sydney exhausted, but I was so content because I’d shifted things.

How do you destress?

Yoga. I think we need to try to slot ourselves first sometimes.

What are you more honest about now that you were 10 years ago?

I care a lot less about what other people think. You get to a point when you’ve got kids and you think, oh I am just too old for this shit. It’s really hard as I’ve been in an industry where your public perception is everything because your job relies on it. If people hate you, then no-one will hire you to represent your brand so it was important that people thought about me in a certain way.

Do you miss that old life?

I miss elements as I love my job. I am still in it a bit, but on my own terms.

Who inspires you?

My mum and my man.

You seem to have reached a sweet spot in life. It’s nice to hear...

I’m getting there…I’m learning.

Felicity Harley is whimn's editor-at-large (follow her on Instagram). After nearly two decades working in - and running - Australia's leading women's publications, she now juggles desk life with cleaning-up-after-three-kids life. In her, er, spare time the health and wellness fan drinks coffee, exercises (to stay sane) and cheers the Sydney Swans.